In a development that 1200 WOAI news reported two weeks ago was in the works, the U.S. Department of Transportation has finalized an agreement naming Texas a 'National Automated Vehicle Proving Ground' to provide real world testing of self driving vehicles.
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the University of Texas at Austin's Center for Transportation Research, and San Antonio's Southwest Research Institute were named 'regional partners' in the effort.
"With five of the nation's 15 fastest growing cities in Tex as and our population expected to potentially double by the year 2050, Texas must be a leader in new technology that addresses transportation challenges," said Texas Department of Transportation Deputy Executive Director Marc Williams. "This partnership puts Texas at the forefront of automated vehicle technologies that likely will shape the future of transportation around the world."
The agreement also designated Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio to be a major testing facility for seeing how driverless vehicles will perform under real driving conditions.
But he says you won't look to the next lane on Fredericksburg Road any time soon and see a car cruising down the road with nobody at the wheel.
"In the foreseeable future, we are still talking about having drivers or operators in a vehicle who will be able to take over the controls at any time," said Dr. Chris Poe with the Texas Transportation Institute.
He says Fredericksburg Road is the ideal place to test autonomous vehicles because it is already outfitted with technology to operate VIA Metro Transit's 'VIA Primo' Bus Rapid Transit.
"We will ultimately move some of that testing into a real world environment, which matches up with what that technology is attempting to accomplish," Poe said.
The TTI is looking for roads for testing that include barrier-separated lanes, medical districts, and transit bus corridors.
Autonomous Vehicle testing will take place initially only on closed and controlled tracks, including at SwRI, until TxDOT, the DPS, and local police departments approve the testing on open, public roads.
Poe didn't now how long it will be until that starts happening.
"Texas' booming population and economy make it an ideal test site for automated and connected vehicle tehchnology," Williams said. "This technology is increasingly being developed and tailored to address congestion and increase safety, by reducing human error. It also ofers opportunities to improve how people and goods move throughout their communities and the nation at large. Testing it, in different environments and uses, is an important first step in assuring these technologies will be safe and reliable."
Having this development tested and researched in Texas, and in San Antonio, where SwRI has been working on the basic technology for automated vehicles for decades, will also place the state in position to be a leader in the production, manufacture, and research into the types of vehicles which are expected to dominate transportation for the coming century.
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